Florida’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood has once again surpassed $1 billion in yearly jackpots, with time to spare.
The popular Seminole Tribe of Florida-owned casino hit the massive milestone last week, when one lucky player from Ohio bagged a $6,000 jackpot to bring it over the line.
Since 2021, Hard Rock Hollywood has handed out $6 billion in jackpots. So far this year, one jackpot prize has been won every 47 seconds on average at the expansive flagship Hard Rock resort.
“For the fourth consecutive year, we have awarded more than $1 billion in jackpots,” said Bo Guidry, president of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, in a press release.
“We are dedicated to providing exceptional guest experiences and ensuring that each visit to Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood is truly unforgettable.”
The Jackpots
Despite the huge headline figure, guests shouldn’t go in expecting millionaires being made left and right. The huge $1 billion figure for 2024 so far was made up of 346,492 jackpot wins. Meaning the average prize was $3,340.
That’s because Hard Rock considers a jackpot win to be anything that requires a hand-pay by an attendant. Which, for tax reasons, stands at $1,200, although that rule may change in the near future.
The biggest win of the year so far at Hard Rock Hollywood was in April, when one guest hit for $1.12 million. Elsewhere this year, at Hard Rock’s casinos across the U.S., one gambler hit the big time with their very first visit to a casino. In early June, one lucky player walked into the Hard Rock Atlantic City for their first gambling experience, and immediately hit a $1.5 million Wheel of Fortune slot jackpot.
The Casino
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood opened in 2004, around 10 miles south of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The giant guitar- shaped, 469-room glass hotel tower was added in 2019, costing $1.5 billion. It makes a striking centerpiece to the resort, reflecting Hard Rock’s rock ‘n roll and music memorabilia theme.
The casino floor itself spans 150,000 square feet, hosting more than 2,500 slots. It also has some 200 card tables and 20 roulette tables. The latter were only added in late 2023 after a multiple-year legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court.
Local gambling operators took legal action against Hard Rock over the specifics of the huge 2021 gaming compact the Seminole Tribe signed with the state of Florida. But ultimately, their efforts proved unsuccessful. The Seminole triumph, especially when it comes to their launch of mobile sports betting in Florida, has been looked at with interest by other tribal gambling operators across the U.S.
In related news, Las Vegas will be getting a similar giant guitar hotel to Hard Rock Hollywood by 2027. Hard Rock International bought The Mirage Las Vegas in 2022, and then recently closed it to make room for a planned Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas casino resort.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
